A New Blessing
by harrypotter143
Summary: After a mishap in potions class, Hermione withdraws from Hogwarts and disappears off the face of the planet. Five years later, she returns but she has received a new blessing. Why is Professor Snape so upset about this? And why has Hermione returned after so long being gone? Definitely AU and the characters are slightly OOC. Rated M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

Frustrated, Hermione threw down her quill on top of the books spread over the top of the table in the library. She had been in there for hours and was still not any closer to finding the answer to the essay question Snape had assigned. "Different uses for different colored rose petals in potions." None of the books gave her any idea as to what different colored rose petals did for the different potions. In fact, no books even mentioned rose petals being used in potions. What was Snape playing at?

Looking at her watch, Hermione gasped at the time. Was it really two in the morning already? She must have been here longer than she thought. Good thing she was Head Girl or else she might get in trouble for being out of bounds after curfew. As it was, now she just had to worry about the fact that she would not have the essay for Snape finished by class at eight.

Refusing to give up, Hermione pledged to stay awake until she had the answers that she needed. Sighing heavily, she stood up and returned to the stacks of books to get a few more books on potion ingredients. Resigned to her fate, she came back to the table with a stack bigger than her body and proceeded to get back to work on her essay.

A few hours later, Hermione was asleep with her head on a potions book. Instead of the 12 inches of parchment full of her neat, tidy writing there were 3 inches about red rose petals being used to increase the longevity of the potion. She had fallen asleep at around six-thirty and was still snoring away when Harry and Ron entered the library in search of her.

"Hermione."

"Hermioneeee."

A few rough shakes on the shoulder roused her from her sleep.

"Huh?" she murmured, looking around her at the table still covered in books. "What's going on?"

"It's almost time for potions class Hermione," Ron said, looking at Harry and smiling at their friend's antics.

Hermione screeched loudly, causing the boys to jump backwards in shock, and jumped up from the library table. She grabbed her potions essay, muttering "no" while scanning what she had written.

Harry and Ron looked at her strangely. "Hermione? Did you not finish your essay?" the asked in disbelief. Hermione always finished her assignments. Ron looked shocked when she shook her head no.

"Why did you not finish?" he asked. The boys looked concerned for her health.

"I couldn't find anything about the topic," she said with tears in her eyes. She put her hands over her face and sobbed loudly. "I looked everywhere and couldn't find anything about rose petals!"

"Rose petals?" Harry questioned. "The project was about the color of lily petals Hermione…" Now the boys were really scared. Hermione always knew the assignment and had never gotten it wrong before.

"Are you feeling alright Hermione," Ron questioned at the shocked look on her face.

"L-lily petals? The assignment wasn't about rose petals?" She stammered, looking incredulous. "How…?"

"Look, you can just explain it to Snape. We have to go or we're going to be late," Harry said, grabbing her hand and dragging her from the library.

When they arrived at the potions classroom, Hermione still had a shellshocked look on her face. She couldn't believe how bad she had messed it up. Snape was going to be so mad at her.

Sitting down at their usual table in the back, Hermione gulped nervously as Snape swooped into the room, his robes billowing behind him. When he reached the front of the room, he turned and surveyed the class through the curtain of his black hair. With a sweep of his wand, all the essays flew towards the front of the room. All the essays except one.

Counting the essays, Snape frowned when he realized one was missing. Never in all his years of teaching had a student failed to turn in an assignment when he assigned it. Performing a quick spell, his eyebrows raised up higher on his forehead when he realized whose essay was missing. Searching the classroom, he saw Hermione duck lower in here seat, her face red, as his eyes focused on her.

However, he simply turned away and swept his wand over the blackboard making instructions for the potion they were to brew appear instantly.

"Today, you will be making a core strengthening potion. Everyone pair up and get to work. Miss Granger? I need to see you in my office. You will be excused from this potion today. Everyone else, you had better be finished within 45 minutes."

He swept his robes around and stalked into his office. Hermione stood up and attempted to ignore the looks she was getting from the other students as they watched her walk to Snape's office. By the time she reached the door, her cheeks were pink and Malfoy was smirking at her from behind his cauldron.

Not bothering to knock, she walked into the office and closed the door behind her. Turning back, she noticed Snape sitting behind his desk, his dark head bent over grading the essays turned in.

After the war, Snape had gotten slightly better in regards to his attitude as well as his grooming habits. His dark hair was smooth and shined beautifully. He no longer looked greasy and he was slightly nicer to the Gryffindors. Hermione could actually admit a slight attraction to him now that he was cleaner.

"Professor?" She asked timidly and flinched slightly when he waved his wand towards the door. She assumed he had placed locking and silencing charms on the door so they would not be disturbed.

"Sit Miss Granger," he said, never looking up from the papers he was grading. "I believe you know what we are here to talk about?" Finally, he looked up and Hermione's breath caught in her throat at his beauty.

Some said he had a hooked nose and sallow skin but Hermione thought he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Seeing that he was looking at her oddly, she realized that she had been staring for far too long. Blushing, she sat in the proffered chair in front of his desk.

"Yes Professor," she mumbled, looking down at her lap.

"Explain."

Looking up, she rushed out, "I'm so sorry! I thought the assignment was for the color of rose petals. I was mistaken and did not realize until about a half hour ago. Please Sir, can I possibly make it up?" Tears were present in her eyes as she pleaded for a redo on the assignment.

Snape looked at her, completely unaffected by her show of emotion. Over the years, she had only gotten more beautiful. During the war, it was too dangerous for him to be even remotely kind to her. She was a muggleborn and it would have put her life into unnecessary danger. But now, well now he could admit that she was absolutely stunning. She had grown her hair out and the weight pulled the curls into more waves that hung down to her back in glorious golden brown waves. Her figure had filled out with nicely rounded hips and large breasts. If only he wasn't her teacher.

"Miss Granger," he finally said, tearing his eyes away from her body. "I cannot simply let you make up the assignment. That would not be fair to the other students."

His heart pulled slightly as the tears in her eyes spilled over and ran down her cheeks. Standing up, he rounded his desk to stand in front of her. She needed some comfort and he could console her if she would let him.

Hermione looked up as Snape came around to the front of the desk. Looking up through her tears she saw him crouch down in front of her, reaching for her hands which were twisting nervously on her lap. Her eyes widened as she realized that he wanted to actually comfort her.

"Miss Granger—Hermione," he amended. "I am sure this one mess up will not affect your grade in any way. You still have the highest possible grade imaginable."

Hermione sniffed. She was surprised when he said her given name but was pleased with the way it sounded coming from his full pink lips. His husky, sexy voice sent shivers down her spine.

With a strangled sob, she launched herself into his arms. Surprised, he wrapped his arms around her body as she cried into his shoulder. He awkwardly patted her on the back. The feel of her soft body against his was driving him crazy. Her curves melded nicely with his and his hands fit perfectly in the dip of her waist.

The feel of his hands running up and down her back was doing delicious things to Hermione's body. When her crying quieted down, the sensations began to grow. Inadvertently, she moaned aloud. Gasping, she blushed red and realized what she had done. She felt him stiffen against her body and went to pull away.

He however tightened his hold on her. All she managed to pull back was her head. They gazed into each other's eyes, much being conveyed in the one look. The emotions were unreadable but the feelings were there. Sparks seemed to jump between their bodies.

They were both breathing heavily, lips parted slightly. Hermione's gaze dropped to Snape's lips a split second before his lips descended upon hers and she was caught up in the most sensual kiss she had ever experienced. She moaned against his lips, the soft feel of them against hers being too much for her to handle.

"We shouldn't be doing this," he gasped as he pulled away from her before he proceeded to kiss her harder.

Hermione was running her hands over his body, through his hair and under into his robes. He groaned against her mouth and she could feel him stiffen further in his pants.

Standing abruptly with her in his arms, he swept his arm across his desk immediately clearing it of the clutter. He placed her gently down on top of the desk and ran his hands up the sides of her skirt and under it to the tops of her thighs.

Moaning once again, Hermione proceeded to remove her professor's clothes.

"Severus," she moaned as he removed her shirt and kissed along her collarbone and down her chest to the tops of her bra. Soon, that was off as well and his lips were surrounding her taut nipple. Her back was arched, her head thrown back with her hair cascading down her back.

Before she knew it, her skirt and underwear were removed and he was working his way inside her tight heat. The feeling was the most erotic experience of her life and she was loving every minute of it. Severus was groaning as he thrust in and out of her. His head was thrown back in ecstasy. Hermione raked her hands down his back, causing him to explode inside her, bringing her over the edge with him.

The two lay sprawled out on his desk afterwards in each other's arms. Hermione's head was resting on Severus' chest, listening to his heartbeat. His arms were circled around her waist.

"Hermione…" he started. He did not regret what they did but he did believe that it was something that could never be repeated again. He felt that he had to explain this to her.

"Yes Severus," she responded, sitting up and looking down at him.

His breath caught in his throat at her beauty. Her naked torso was beautiful and slim and her hair fell over her shoulders. He knew she would be upset when he told her and he did not want to hurt her, but he could not lose his job because this had happened more than once.

Severus gulped and said, "We cannot do this again Miss Granger." He winced slightly as she sat bolt upright and looked hurt.

"I am so sorry…I shouldn't h-have," she stuttered, holding back tears as she stood up and proceeded to redress. "You think this is a mistake…you regret it…can't believe I was so stupid…" she was muttering to herself. The return use of her last name stung more than she was willing to admit to him, or even herself.

She threw her clothes on in a hurry.

"Miss Granger—" Severus began.

A strangled sob escaped her before she disillusioned herself and walked out of his office door. There was no need however as everyone in the class had already gone. Potions sat on his desk in separate vials ready to be graded.

She noticed her things were missing and assumed the boys had grabbed it. She ran from the room straight up to the Headmaster's office. An hour later she had withdrawn from the school and another hour later she had packed all her things and was headed off the grounds. She had somehow managed to avoid the boys and for this she was glad. She needed to escape, to get away from it all. She needed to leave this life behind before her heart got further broken.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: This is my first fanfic so I am sure there will be quite a few mistakes. I have attempted one before, but life seems to always get in the way. This was originally intended to just be a oneshot between Hermione and Severus but the story seemed to take on a life of its own. This being said, I have to work chapter by chapter to get this out there. I am a college student and school will be starting back in a few short weeks so I will not promise quick updates. I will however, try to update as often as possible. _

_Also, the characters are going to be OOC. Remember, the war is over and Hermione (as well as Ron and Harry) has gone through a lot of pain and emotional distress. Anyone would crack under the amount of pressure they have been put under. And Severus is finally free to do what he wants. He is not under the controlling thumbs of two equally powerful wizards. _

_XxXxXxXxXx_

5 Years Later

Severus Snape was sitting in his private potions lab at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was once again not focusing on the potion bubbling on a table not too far away but he was instead focusing on the letter he had received about twenty minutes earlier.

This was entirely unlike the dark man. Potions was his passion. Was. About five years earlier, he had discovered a new passion; one he had lost not long after he found it. This would mark the fourth potion he had ruined this week alone. He just could not seem to focus on anything except finding the woman who had sent him the letter he was currently reading.

Once a week for the past five years, he had received a brief letter detailing the going-ons of her life. This was surprising considering how their tryst had ended. When he got the first letter, he was pleasantly surprised. He could still remember the day even though five years had passed.

_Severus was sitting at breakfast. To his right was Dumbledore and on his left was Sirius Black who had taken the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts after having his name cleared by the Ministry. His mood was noticeably dark and most people avoided him. Sirius and Dumbledore however would not stop pestering him. Severus and Sirius had made a somewhat cordial agreement when Sirius got hired. While not friends, they did not fight constantly anymore. _

_Three months before Hermione Granger had left the school and nobody had heard from her since. Dumbledore kept telling everyone not to worry about her, that she was fine and that she did not want contact with anybody. Potter and Weasley still refused to listen and continued to search for her. _

_Although Severus tried to act nonchalant about it he couldn't help but look up expectantly every time one of them asked Albus about her. He remembered the day it all went downhill. He remembered every word said and he tried again and again to think of something he could have done differently. He could have done something to make her stay. It felt like his heart was stolen that day. _

_Now, sitting her at breakfast with Black chattering away on one side and Albus on the other side questioning him, Severus couldn't handle much more. He was about to escape to the privacy of his room when the owl post arrived. _

_Not expecting anything, Severus was surprised to see a brilliant black own land in front of him and hold out its leg. Obviously he had paused too long because the own nipped at his hand harshly. _

"_Ow," he exclaimed as he jumped back, nursing his hand. He glared at the owl as he gingerly took the letter from its leg. "Ruddy bird." _

_Deciding to go to his private room to read the letter. Getting up from the table he swooped down the aisle between house tables and left through the doors. In a short time, he was in his rooms and opening the letter. As he read his mouth fell open in shock and his eyes grew wide. _

_**Dear Professor Snape:**_

_**I can imagine that hearing from me is the last thing you want right now. I will admit that I wrestled with myself about even writing you. The fact is that I cannot stop myself from thinking about you. I left school to get away from you, you must know that by now. However, my heart does not want to get away from you. **_

_**I cannot understand why I feel this way and I know that you do not feel the same. I know that you believe what we did was a mistake but it was indeed the best blessing you could ever give me. **_

_**Whether you want me to or not, I am going to continue to send you a letter every week. Whether you keep them or burn them, it does not matter to me. I can get out everything that I need to about you, yet keep my distance. Maybe I will meet someone and you will just turn into an old school professor who is now a good friend. If not, I hope that one day we will meet again. **_

_**Until then I will leave you with this. I am well. I have moved and am happy where I am. I have a stable job and am able to take care of myself quite well. **_

_**I will leave this letter here until we speak again. Do not worry about writing back. Any owl you send will not be able to find me and mine will not stick around long enough for you to respond. **_

_**For now, love from, **_

_**Hermione**_

_Here her letter ended. Severus' heart was hurting. All the thoughts running through his head. He could not sort out his feelings and his want for her. Gods, he thought, I think I love her. _

True to her word, every week for the past five years he had received a letter. She talked about every aspect of her life that would not give away any information about where to find her. She was also correct about her bird. He had many new scars from that blasted owl. Now, reading her newest letter, he almost wanted to jump for joy. Hermione was returning. She was coming back to him.

He needed to talk to Albus about this, maybe he would know more about Hermione's disappearance and return. With the happy thought in mind, he practically ran from his dungeon classrooms and proceeded up to the Headmaster's office.

Hermione hummed as she packed her suitcase. She was happy to be returning home. Nobody except Severus and Albus knew that she was returning and she wanted to keep it that way. She loved her new life but she missed her old friends.

Another good reason for returning sat on the bed beside her watching her pack her trunk. A little boy looked up at her with adoring love in his eyes. His wonderful chocolate brown eyes that contrasted perfectly with his curly black hair. Alexander was a beautiful five year old child. He was her pride and joy and she knew that Severus finally deserved to meet the child that he had created that fateful day in his private office.

If it wasn't for Alex constantly asking to meet his father, she would probably not be doing this. She did not think that Severus would be happy with the child they had made. He never seemed to like children very much and she worried that he would not love his own child. However, she could never deny Alex anything that he wanted.

Even now he was begging her for chocolate ice cream before they left the city.

"Please mommy?" His little cupid's bow mouth pouted sadly. He knew that the look always worked with his mother and he always worked that to his advantage.

"Please? Just a little bit please mommy. I promise that I will never ask for anything ever again if we can get some ice cream," he hedged. Of course he would ask for more things. The child was beyond spoiled.

Hermione smiled and thought about how much he made her remember Severus smiling at her like that once before he had crushed her hopes and her heart all in one go. Knowing that Alex would get exactly what he wanted, she simply sent him a stern look that caused him to sit very still with his hands in his lap and give his mother a solemn look.

Not being able to keep up the stern façade for too long, Hermione began to giggle at the look of seriousness on her five year olds face. He was just so irresistible. She really hoped that Severus could come to love him as much as she did. Even if he did not love her, he could at least love their beautiful child.

"Okay baby, we are all packed," she began, watching him in the mirror over her shoulder. "Now, just let me shrink the rest of my things then we will pop over and get some chocolate ice cream."

She laughed loudly at his childish shriek of joy and watched as he ran from the room to put his shoes on. Although he could actually do a little magic (he had "borrowed" his mother's wand on a number of occasions) she still made him do some things the muggle way. Australia isn't as strict on underage magic as Britain is but they still would not like Alex using magic this young. But with who his parents were, it is not that hard to believe how smart he was.

Shrinking her trunk and slipping it into her pocket with Alex's things, she headed out of her bedroom to find her child. Presently, he was learning to tie his shoelaces. Although not horrible at it, he still had managed to tangle the laces of one trainer up pretty badly.

Bending down to help him, she fixed the lace then suddenly grabbed him under his ribs and began to tickle. Alex rolled around on the ground, childish giggles escaping his mouth.

"Stop it mommy, please, I give up," he managed around another fit of giggles.

Hermione was giggling as well as she stood up and helped her son to his feet. Taking hold of his hand, she thought about where she wanted to turn up and spun on the spot. On arrival, she checked to make sure that Alex was alright. A look of concentration graced his features but nothing more.

Tugging on his hand, she pulled her now grinning son into the ice cream shop. An older woman was behind the counter taking a man's order so they got in line and waited. Alex was presently jumping up and down trying to see into the inside of the ice cream freezer. Hermione laughed and picked him up so he could see over the top.

"I don't know why you want to see," she said. "You always get chocolate." A soft, indulgent smile graced her features.

"I just wanna look. Maybe I will get something different this time." The serious look on his face showed just how true his words were. Although he always got chocolate, he was always willing to try something new; be it escargot or caviar.

Chuckling, Hermione said, "okay sweetie."

When they finally reached the counter, Hermione smiled at the older woman. "Hello Miss Anne."

"Well hello there dearie," Miss Anne said to Hermione. She smiled down at Alex and reached sly behind her back. Alex grinned real big and clapped his hands. His black curls bounced as he jumped up and down on the balls of his feet.

With a big gasp and smile, Anne pulled a huge chocolate ice cream cone from behind her back. Three scoops ensured Hermione that Alex would not be sleeping tonight. Alex's eyes widened in excitement as he reached up to take the cone.

Anne laughed at the look of childish wonder and Hermione just looked upon the scene with a small smile. They were both going to miss Anne. The older woman was working at the ice cream shop when Hermione first arrived and came looking for a job. The woman was kind enough to hire a pregnant eighteen year old who was down on her luck.

Before long, Anne had become her only friend and a surrogate mother to the one Hermione had lost during the war. Anne was there for Alex's birth and was his godmother. He called her grandma and everyday that Hermione did not work they would stop in for an ice cream cone.

After five years of being there, Hermione was just one step below the owner, Anne. And she had recently found out that when Anne passed on, she was set to get the store. It may not be what she had originally picked to do with her life, but Anne had come to represent family and love. Alex simply adored her.

"Wow, thank you Grandma Anne!" Alex squealed before going to sit in his seat by the counter and proceeding to eat his ice cream.

"I want to thank you so much again Miss Anne," Hermione started before Anne waved her thanks away, smiling.

"It was no problem Dear. You have been an absolute joy to have around these past few years. Since I have no family of my own left, you and Alex have been a Godsend."

Although a muggle, Hermione had informed Anne about the fact that she was a witch about three years previously. Anne had seen her transfigure a towel into a puppy for Alex and Hermione's hand had been forced. Anne was alright with the revelation and rarely asked Hermione to use magic to make life easier. Now Hermione was most grateful for the fact that Anne was letting leave on such short notice and without any clue when she would be returning.

'You just take that little rascal and keep him taken well care of. I will see you as soon as you return." She came around the counter and hugged Hermione before walking over and hugging Alex.

"Goodbye little man. I will see you later," she said before bending down and kissing his round cheek. He smiled up at her and went back to licking his ice cream.

Hermione smiled at the scene. This was her family. One day, she hoped to include Severus into the category but she wasn't very optimistic. The most she could hope for was the he would accept Alex into his life and be a good father.

"We really should be leaving Anne. Alex, say goodbye to Miss Anne, we have to go." Hermione hugged Anne once more and took Alex's hand and led him to the back room. A faint popping sound could be heard in the front of the store as the two apparated away.

Back in the front of the store, the young man who had been ordering ice cream before Hermione and Alex stared harshly at the door the previous two had entered. His face was etched in rage as he hid his expression from the old woman behind the counter. She would know who he was before too long but until then he wanted her kept in the dark. Hermione would be his. Of this he was certain. And the little brat would be gone. It was just a matter of time; just a short wait.

The man stood up and left the ice cream shop and walked a short ways down the street to an open alleyway. He hated to apparate such a long distance and didn't understand why the woman left the country but he would find out and make her pay.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So, this one is out quicker than I planned. I know that it is quite short, but this should at least keep everyone interested and ready for the next chapter ;). Thank you to everyone who has reviewed thus far. You are the reason that I am trying so hard to get this done so quickly. This chapter is rated slightly R for anyone who has been skipping this so far.

A dark clad figure walked out from an alley in Hogsmeade and proceeded up the lane to the castle in the distance. Behind him the Shrieking Shack could be seen against the dark clouds. Hogwarts looked like a dark, deserted castle that had been uninhabited for years. Every few feet a lone light shone in a window but the majority of the windows were dark and dreary appearing.

The sky was also dark, brief flashes of lightning running jagged lines across the cloud-filled atmosphere. The cloaked figure passed closed shops on his journey towards the castle. Looking neither left nor right, he proceeded straight ahead with a single-minded intent.

His face was hidden in the shadows of the hood he wore but his long strides conveyed urgency. His mind was a dark and twisted minefield of plots and various dark spells. The main thought passing through his mind was a name; "Hermione." He had to infiltrate the castle so as to get to the woman and her brat. By now she would already be in a room here in town and he wanted to beat her to her destination.

Security was lax since the war was over. With Voldemort gone the wards did not need to be a strict as they once were. The dark clad figure walked straight through the front gates and continued up the narrow, well-worn path to the front doors.

With a brief wave of his hand, the doors swung open, the hinges protesting the whole way. Once inside, the figure removed his hood. His light hair shone in the firelight. He strode purposefully into the entrance hall and went up the stairs to the seventh floor corridor.

Across from a picture of trolls doing ballet, laid a bare, empty wall. The man strode in front of the blank stretch of wall three times before a strange looking door appeared. The door was a dark green wood with silver and black runes painted and carved onto its surface. The handle was in the shape of a roaring bear head, its curled paws lowering to form the part of the handle that is grabbed.

Striding into the room, the man smiled faintly as he took in his surroundings. In the right corner of the room was a huge bed covered in plush pillows. The comforter was blue and also inscribed with strange runes. Beside the bed, in the center of the room, stood a giant bookcase full to bursting with different sizes of books. The most unusual thing about the room however, was the left half of the room. From wall to wall, top to bottom, were pictures of Hermione Granger. Different poses, all different angles. Pictures through a window of her changing clothes, brief flashes of her face as she went about her business. Many pictures showed her through the front windows of the ice cream shop as she worked from day to day.

Presently, the man was gazing at these pictures with a smile on his face. Slowly, he reached down and unbuttoned his cloak and slipped it from his shoulders. Throwing it across a chair that seemed to appear from nowhere, he continued undressing. Next to fall across the chair was his shirt. His chest was covered with scars; long and short, fresh ones and extremely old ones. His pants came off next. A tent could be seen in his boxers. The reason was clearly seen when he removed those shortly.

The man was sporting a huge erection as he gazed at the pictures he had taken of Hermione. Lightly stroking himself, he reached up and touched the face of one of the pictures. The pictures were muggle and so did not move as he gently stroked down the cheek of the woman in the picture. Imagining that the woman's mouth was what was wrapped around his member instead of his hand, the man began so rub himself harder and faster, reaching his climax rapidly. Pulling out a framed photo of Hermione, he felt his balls tighten as he came on her photographed face.

Panting, the man slumped to the floor, the picture still grasped in his hand. Looking down at her face, now covered in his seed, he promised himself that soon, soon he would have her. He had to have her for himself and he would.

XxXxXxXxXx

Hermione and Alex had arrived in Hogsmeade the day before and booked a room at the Three Broomsticks for the night. Hermione knew it through Albus that it was a Hogsmeade weekend and that she would in fact, be able to meet with Severus that Saturday.

So, bright and early, she woke Alex up and bathed him and dressed him in a pair of khaki shorts and a light blue polo. His black curls were shiny and sat perfectly on his head and around his sweet face.

She herself did not want to look too dressy so she settled on a flowy, pale yellow skirt that swished around the bottom of her knees and a light green shirt. Her hair, now longer and less frizzy she left down to fall around her shoulders and down her back. Black sandals completed her look. _Not too dressy, yet not too casual_, she thought to herself.

Grabbing Alex by the hand, she walked down the stairs, said a brief hello to Rosmerta and left through the front door. She had arranged with Severus to meet in a nearby bookstore. Slightly out of the way, not many Hogwarts students would venture into it and Hermione did not want their first meeting after five years to be in a private place. She didn't think she could control herself if she saw him and they were alone.

Once in the bookstore, Alex ran off to look at the children's section. Already, he was reading and ready to start school. Hermione milled around the front of the store hoping to catch a glimpse of the man before he entered and saw her.

_Do I look alright? Is my hair in place? Will he like Alex? Oh, please let him love Alex as much as I do…_Hermione's thoughts were a confused jumble of hopes and concerns.

At that moment, Severus was walking up to the front door. Looking in through the window, his heart nearly stopped dead in his chest. Hermione stood, completely engrossed in a huge tome she was holding in her small hands. The sunlight shining through the window illuminated the caramel colors in her curly brown hair. Over the years, the weight of her hair pulled the tight curls into long, spirals that reached the top of her perfect arse. His breath was forced from his lungs and his steps faltered as he watched her.

Realizing that at some point he would have to go in and talk to her, he opened the door and walked inside. She was still immersed in her book as he walked towards her and he was likewise immersed in her and did not see the child until he was knocked backwards and the child was laying on the ground with books around him and a stunned look on his innocent face.

Severus sneered, "Watch where you're going brat."

He turned back to Hermione but she was gone. Looking around, he saw her helping the child to his feet. Tears were in his eyes as she picked up his books for him. Severus watched from his spot by the door. When the boy stood up Hermione bent down and kissed his tears away. Severus' mouth fell open in shock as he watched her kiss this strange kid on the cheek. Putting her arm around him, she turned toward Severus.

Her expression was cold as she regarded him. She knew that he didn't like children but she never figured that he would be downright cruel towards a child. Presently, Alex was looking up at her with tearstained cheeks.

"It's okay baby," she said, hugging him close to her. She glared at Severus. "Mommy is here now."

Severus' head jerked backwards when she uttered the word "mommy." As he looked closer at the boy he began to see the resemblance. The messy curls, the shape of the eyes, even the full lips belied his parentage. There was no doubt this was Hermione's child.

"Severus, I believe you owe my son an apology."

Regaining his composure, he bent down to the child and held out his hand. The child shrunk back in fear and hid behind his mother's legs. Retracting his hand, Severus said, "I am sorry child. It was not my intention to harm you."

Slowly, the child nodded his head in recognition. Severus stood up and looked at Hermione. Her harsh look had softened somewhat and now a small smile played on the corners of her mouth. Snapping back to reality, she took a good look at Severus. He had not changed much in the five years she had been gone. A few more lines around his mouth and eyes showed how his age was starting to wear him down, but he was still devastatingly handsome. His dark looks still made her tingle low in her belly and warmth spread through her veins.

Alex was still hiding behind her legs and she realized that Severus was looking at her strange. She noticed that she had been staring and blushed faintly. Cautiously, she leaned forward and briefly embraced Severus. She felt his breath hitch and gasped slightly at the feel of being in his arms again.

Pulling back much too soon, she gestured to her son. "Severus, this is Alex."

"Pleased to meet you Alex. My name is Severus Snape. I used to be your mother's teacher when she went to Hogwarts."

This seemed to pull Alex out of his shy spell as his eyes widened at the fact that he was getting to actually talk to a Hogwarts professor. This was like a dream come true.

"Really Sir? What did you teach? Do you still teach there? Was my mom good? What is the school like? Is—"

"Alex baby, slow down," Hermione laughed at her son's antics. Severus felt his groin tighten in response to her musical laughter. "I'm sure that Severus doesn't have time to answer all your questions."

Alex pouted but smiled widely as Severus disagreed with Hermione. "If you would allow me to escort you and your son to lunch, I will answer any questions that he has for me."

Hermione's face showed slight shock but she nodded her acceptance of his inquiry. He nodded and took hold of Alex's hand and led him out of the bookstore. Hermione chuckled. _Maybe, _she thought to herself, _this will go easier than I planned. _

_AN: So sorry for the slight cliffhanger. I will work on the next chapter as soon as possible! _


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: I am sorry this has taken so long. I have had a serious case of writer's block with this story. I know exactly where I want it to go, I even know already exactly how it is going to end. The only problem is being able to sit and write it. Everyone has had some pretty good guesses on who the mystery man is, but everyone who has guessed, is completely wrong __ I can say, nobody will even see it coming. A big surprise is in order. _

Hermione Granger was confused. This did not happen often so it was a strange feeling for her. Looking across the table at her son talking animatedly to his father (not that either of them knew this) was a shock to her. She had hoped that Severus would love Alex but was worried that he would reject his son. However, they seemed to be getting along fabulously.

She didn't know what to expect when Severus invited them to lunch. She did not expect to be silenced for the entire meal as Severus explained to Alex everything there was to know about Hogwarts. Most of the things Hermione had already told him but he still listened with avid interest.

Looking at the twin dark heads bent together over their lunch warmed her heart. She really hoped that when he found out who Alex really was that he would love him. At first, she thought that Severus would despise the child and hate her even more. Yet, looking at the scene across from her, she felt hope rise in her. Her spirits were lifted and she decided that at the end of the lunch session she would figure out how to pull him aside and let him know exactly who Alex was.

"So you see, the gargoyle will only move aside when provided with the correct password and the Headmaster usually does Muggle candy products," Severus chuckled at the Headmaster's silliness.

When he chuckled, his dark eyes lit up, his inner light shining through his façade. Hermione's heart leapt in her chest and she felt a smile draw her mouth up at the corners. At that moment, Severus looked up at her and her expression froze on her face. Like a deer caught in the headlights, her eyes grew wide and her mouth parted slightly. Her breathing sharpened and her pulse quickened. Her belly grew warm and her underwear became damp. One look from his sexy, mysterious eyes had her wanting to be back in his arms.

Across the table, Severus was having a similar dilemma but was controlling how it showed much better than Hermione was. His face appeared calm but inside, his blood boiled and his mind ran a thousand possibilities of what the two could be doing at this moment instead of eating lunch with her child.

Her child.

The two words snapped his mind back to the present. She had a child. Granted, she wore no wedding ring yet the child was a problem. Severus got along well with children, contrary to popular belief (and actions). The fact of the matter, however, was that he did not want children. Not now, not ever. Children complicate life and make it impossible for someone to get things done.

He could not possibly tie himself to a woman with a child. The consequences for him, and their relationship, would be dire.

And so he dropped his gaze back to his plate. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Hermione flush and look away as well. Alex asked him another question. Ignoring this one, he waved at the waitress to bring them the check. He had to get away from Hermione if he wanted to keep his sanity.

XxXxXxXxXx

Lunch ended soon with a little help from Severus hurrying the arrival of the check. Hoping to escape Hermione for a little while so as to get his traitorous body under control, he opened his mouth to tell her that he would see her in a few days but apparently she had other plans for their day out.

"Severus? Would you take a walk with me? I think we need to catch up with each other." She sounded slightly tense and nervous, as if she didn't really want to talk to him.

His curiosity was piqued with her tone of voice. "Sure. Where did you have in mind?"

"Let's take a walk out to the Shrieking Shack. Alex can play while we talk." She wondered if he understood the importance of the place that she suggested. Probably not since she never told a soul that the Shrieking Shack is where she first developed her crush on him. It was so brave how he shielded Her, Ron, and Harry from Professor Lupin.

Nodding his acceptance, he gestured her and Alex to take the lead. Alex took his mother's hand and chatted the whole way out to the Shack. Along the way, she explained how the Shack got its name and how it was really her ex-professor Remus Lupin that was howling in the rundown house.

Severus, having already known the whole story, couldn't help but watch Hermione talk as they walked. She looked beautiful and animated while talking to her son. And speaking of her son, he looked vaguely familiar. His black hair surely didn't come from Hermione as her hair was a light brown. Not only that, but he did not have her eye shape or facial shape. Contemplating who the child's father was, he was surprised to see that they had arrived at the Shrieking Shack already.

Alex ran off to a tree to climb and play, the sunlight making his black hair look blue. He truly was a beautiful child.

Hermione and Severus walked to the fence that surrounded the Shack. Leaning over it, Hermione gazed at the house for a little while before speaking.

"Severus."

"Hmm?" He was brought out of his daydream as Hermione spoke. Her beauty distracted him greatly. The light, pastel colors look great with her tan complexion and her face, thinner now, had beautiful clear skin. Gazing intently at the house, she did not notice that he was staring at her with great interest. He very dearly wanted to hold her in his arms again.

"I have a question that I have been wanting to ask you," she suddenly looked severely frightened as she looked at him. Eyes wide with fear and reproach, she opened her mouth to continue. All that came out was a slight squeak. She looked down, took a deep breath to compose herself and appeared to mentally steel herself.

Severus wondered what sort of question would put this much fear into a normally fearless girl. Looking at her frightened expression, he suddenly didn't want her to continue. Just as he started to say something, she looked up at him and blurted out, "How do you feel about children?"

Reeling back as if he had been slapped, he looked at her in shock for a second before pulling an indifferent mask onto his face. Why would she want to know that? What do children have to do with anything? Maybe she wanted to get together and wondered if he would ever accept Alex into his life.

"Do you want the truth Hermione?" he asked. "Or do you want the answer that I know you want?

Looking deep into his dark eyes, she took a deep breath and said, "the truth, please."

He noted the steeled resolve in her eyes and began to speak. "Hermione, you have to understand. I have had a very horrible childhood. My father abused me severely and my mother turned a blind eye to the whole thing. I have never had someone who loved me."

He paused to breathe. His life story always upset him, especially when he had to tell it to other people.

"When I turned eleven, my father was happy to be rid of me but angry that I had inherited magic from my mother. He thought that since he was far superior to her, that his blood should have overcome the magic in her blood," here, his voice turned bitter at the man he hated as his father.

"After I came to Hogwarts I was happy to be away from my father, but instead, I encountered James Potter and his cronies. For seven years, my father during the summer and James Potter during the school years, made my life a living Hell."

"I am afraid that I would be like my father and I am afraid that any children I would have would fear me. I am an overbearing man and I do not know how to love. Also, I do not want to bring a child into the world that will just have to deal with a schoolyard bully. Truthfully, I also just do not want children. Not now, nor ever."

He finished his story and the look on Hermione's face was no longer fear, but a deep sadness. Her eyes were filmed over with unshed tears and her heart felt like it was being constricted. He had been so good with Alex and for a short while, she had felt as if this would actually work. As if he would love Alex, truly love him as his child. But now, all hope was gone. He didn't want children. He would never love Alex.

Severus was surprised at the look of abject sadness on her face. He understood that he had just crushed any hopes she had of them being together, but they could still have a friendship. True, he wanted more, so much more. But he could not deal with a child. He hated teaching them and he would hate parenting them as well.

"I understand Sev," she said, her voice trembling. Turning away from him, her eyes scanned the surrounding area for her child. Not seeing him, Fear once again came into her eyes.

"Alex!" She ran around to where he had been playing but he was not there. "Alex," she was screaming his name. Severus ran after her, also looking for the missing child.

After searching the whole area, they discovered that Alex was truly missing. Hermione was sobbing, the sound heart wrenching to Severus. She collapsed to the ground.

Making a quick decision, Severus bent down and scooped her into his arms. He proceeded up to the castle with the woman in his arms. Hopefully the Headmaster would be able to help with finding the child. He didn't think Hermione could stand it if her child was not found. Severus had a hard glint in his eye as he thought of ways to make the person who had taken young Alex away pay for this misdeed.

XxXxXxXxXx

The man with light colored hair looked down at the child asleep in his arms. Well, not so much asleep as unconscious. A quick stunning spell had been sent his way when his mother was not looking. This was the easiest thing that had been done so far.

He had not expected Severus to be there but the man had clearly not posed a problem. He was too enamored with Hermione. He would have to be disposed of as well.

The man disillusioned himself and the bundle in his arms and proceeded back up to the castle. The child would be stored away in the secret room until he needed him to make a bargain with Hermione. She would be more than willing to do anything it took to protect her only child.

Once she realized where the child was hidden, she would come right away. Hopefully she would not come alone, hopefully she would bring Severus with her so that he could kill two birds with one stone. Getting rid of the man and the child after his woman would just be fantastic. He couldn't wait until he had her in his arms like he had wanted to for the past nine years.

_AN: Severus isn't as heartless as he appears to be. He is mostly worried about being exactly like his father was with him. This is actually a common worry among fathers who were abused as young children._

_ I will try to have the next chapter out as soon as possible, but school will be starting back in 9 short days and college life is pretty rough. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and thank you to everyone who is reading this story! Until next time :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: Well, I have gotten two chapters out in the same day. I am really in a writing mood. Hope this chapter goes over well. At least two more chapters after this one, possibly three and then I am finished. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I am glad that you all like the story. _

The secret room within the depths of Hogwarts School had changed this time around. Rather than the scene from last time, the pictures of Hermione Granger were gone. This time, the room looked like a medieval dungeon. The walls were a dark, dingy gray and the floor was stone and equally as gray as the walls. The main difference was that in the center of the room was a small child chained to a sharp spike protruding from the ground. A small child, five years of age was still unconscious as he lay chained to the spike. The child had black, curly hair and his face was stained black from dirt that had accumulated within the room and on the floor where he was chained.

At the present moment, he was starting to stir. Alex whimpered slightly as he raised his head from the floor and looked at where he was at. The floor also had a thin coating of blood from the man's previous victims. He sat up and tried to move his leg but noticed that it had a thick chain securing it to a huge spike sticking out of the floor in the center of the room. Tear tracks made a clean path down Alex's face. He was beyond scared, he was terrified.

From the dark shadows on the edge of the room, he heard a high, sinister laugh. Someone was in the room with him and appeared to be stalking him.

"W-who's there?" Alex's voice was shaking slightly, but he turned his chin up defiantly. His mother had taught him to be brave and brave he would be. He would not cower before this whoever this was. A man that needed to hide in the shadows from a five-year-old was not a man at all.

The man laughed again at Alex's stubbornness. "Hush up now, little child. Before too long, you shall see me for who I am. Until then, I demand that you keep your silence unless you want to see the full extent of my powers. Your mother is a mere squib compared with me." The man's voice was full of anger and Alex did not want to push him any further so he remained silent and waited to see what would happen to him. He knew that his mother would come for him. Hiding it so the man could not see, he clutched the front of his shirt tight to his chest. He knew she would find him. She just had to.

XxXxXxXxXx

Severus placed Hermione on the bed in his private quarters then floo called Albus. When the old Headmaster heard that it was an emergency, he called Sirius as well. Sirius had been completely exonerated by the Wizengamot and worked briefly as an auror before coming to work at Hogwarts as a professor. In an emergency, Severus was surprisingly glad to have Sirius there to help. He had been considered one of the best aurors after Harry Potter.

A few moments later, the three men stepped through the fireplace into Severus' private quarters. Sirius gasped slightly when he saw Hermione laying on the bed while the Headmaster simply looked on with a slight smile and twinkling eyes.

"What has happened Severus?" Albus questioned, a more worried look now apparent in his blue eyes.

"When I met with Hermione today, I discovered that she had a child. A young child by the name of Alex."

Sirius' look of stunned disbelief increased as he looked between Hermione laying on the bed and Severus explaining what had happened. This girl had been missing for five years and now she comes back with a young child; and she comes back to Severus. It was unthinkable.

Granted, he had made nice with Severus when the war had ended but still. Hermione and Severus. He could not imagine it. Looking towards Albus, however, he knew it to be true.

Severus continued, jerking Sirius out of his reverie.

"We ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks then we went out to the boundary to the Shrieking Shack to talk. Hermione said she wanted to ask me a question. When she received my answer, she started to cry and turned to look for Alex. When she looked to where he had been playing, he was gone. We looked around the area for twenty minutes and could not find him."

By the end of his story, he looked upset. It was the most emotion that Sirius had ever seen the rough man show. He actually looked worried for the child. Or possibly he was just concerned about the child for Hermione's wellbeing. Either way, they had to find Alex.

"What does Alex look like?" Sirius questioned. Albus appeared to be stunned into silence.

"He is five years old. He has black curly hair and light, almost gold brown eyes. He is wearing khaki shorts and a light blue polo shirt."

The three figures in the room jerked around towards the bed. Hermione was sitting up holding her left wrist.

"Don't worry about finding him. I was so upset earlier that I forgot that that I had this tracking device stored in my bracelet. Alex wears a necklace that also has a tracker in it."

Albus smiled at her and gestured for her to continue. Severus and Sirius just watched as she pressed a button on the stone of her bracelet. A light green map appeared above her wrist with a black dot shining near the top. It was a map of Hogwarts and Alex appeared to be on the seventh floor. Where, they did not know since no room popped up there.

Albus looked at both Severus and Sirius. His look conveyed an important message and the men instantly knew where Alex was.

"Hermione," Severus said. The men turned to look at the bed again but noticed that she was not there anymore. Turning, Severus saw that his bedroom door was open. While the men were looking at each other, she had slipped out of the room. Severus ran from his private room and into the hallway, heading for the seventh floor. He did not even check to make sure Albus and Sirius were following him. He had to get to Hermione.

XxXxXxXxXx

Hermione slipped quietly from the room when the three men turned and looked at each other. She knew that she had to be the one to go get Alex. If she didn't leave then, she would be too late.

When she reached the hallway, she took off at a sprint. She knew that he was in the Room of Requirement, it was just a matter of getting inside. From far away, she could hear the distant footfalls of Severus coming after here. How she knew it was Severus, she didn't know.

She increased her pace and before too long, she was at the blank stretch of wall. Pacing in front of it, she repeated in her head, _I need to find Alex, I need to find Alex, I need to find Alex. _

A thick, steel door appeared on the wall in front of her. Before she opened the door a strong pair of arms circled her from behind. Severus had caught up to her relatively quickly and was now preventing her from entering.

She struggled briefly before going limp. Severus placed her on the floor beside him and grabbed the door handle.

She looked at him strangely before he replied quietly, "together." She nodded and together, they opened to door.

XxXxXxXxXx

The man heard the door open on the wall across from him. No light entered the room except for the light that was centered on Alex still chained to the middle of the floor. When Hermione saw him she let out a wail and ran to his side.

"Mommy!" Alex yelled, tears streaming down his face. "No Mommy, there is a bad man in here."

Too late, the door slammed shut behind the pair. Severus turned sharply watching as the wall behind him went blank. He drew his wand, seeing that Hermione already had hers in her hand and had released Alex from the chain holding him down.

"Come out," Severus said to the dark, empty room.

A cold laugh reached their ears. Hermione walked Alex over to where Severus stood by the door and pushed him back into the shadows. She then stood beside Severus and directed her wand at the man now stepping into the light.

Her wand hand shook and faltered slightly as she got a good look at the man who had taken her child. Her eyes filled with shock and hurt and Severus looked equally shocked.

"Remus?"

_AN: Shocked? Surprised? Outraged? _

_Well, nobody guessed who it was. This story was supposed to be unlike any other SeverusxHermione story out there and I have indeed achieved that with the evil villain in the story. _

_I believe that Remus in canon was a good person, he was always one of my favorites and I personally cried when he was killed off, but this story shows more of his werewolf side coming out. Nobody hate me! :D _


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: I apologize ahead of time for this chapter. I am terrible at writing action scenes and so the battle is written blandly. I struggled with it for a little while before I just wrote it how it came to me. Sorry for the lackluster fight. _

"Remus?"

To say that Hermione was shocked would be an understatement. She would never believe that Remus could do anything even remotely cruel like this. He was always the nicest person to her and he had been nothing but sweet and understanding when Tonks first developed her crush on him. He had let her down easy and was still on good terms with her. But to see this, she didn't know what had happened.

Beside her, Severus was equally stunned. After he had made up with Sirius, Remus had also apologized for anything bad that occurred during their school years. In fact, Severus considered Remus a friend now and continued to brew the Wolfsbane potion for him.

"Shocked to see me?" Remus' smile was sinister. "Of course no one would ever suspect sweet, kind, gentle Remus. Nobody ever pays attention to me."

He appeared to be totally relaxed standing in the middle of the room but the pair knew better. A werewolf was always aware of their surroundings, always alert. They could see his wand in his left hand, pointing at the ground.

Following their eyes, he laughed when he saw them looking at his wand. "Do you think you're a match for me? One little girl and an old potions master?" His laugh was cold and harsh.

Hermione and Severus leveled their wands at him, fury in their eyes. Alex was holding onto the back of his mother's pants leg, whimpering in fear.

"What happened to you Remus?" Hermione asked. She couldn't understand the sudden change that had come over him. "You're a good person."

"A good person?!" Remus yelled, fury lacing his words. "You're just a disillusioned girl. Yeah, I used to be nice. In fact, I used to be a doormat. But now, now the wolf has full control." He grinned, showing his sharp teeth. They were stained a dark brown color and Severus suspected that the wolf had not been taking his potion regularly.

"Lupin." Severus drew his attention from Hermione. His eyes glowed slightly golden in the light.

"Ah, Snivellus. I thought you two had something going on." Remus straightened up and looked at Severus coldly.

"What? There is nothing going on between me and Hermione." Severus was genuinely confused. How did Lupin know that something had happened between them. Nobody knew. He tried to make the door behind them appear but it wasn't working.

"I wouldn't bother if I was you. The door won't appear until I tell it to."

Severus looked to Alex cowering behind his mother. "At least let us get the child out of here. He has nothing to do with this."

"Nothing to do with this?" Again, Remus laughed. The wolf was close to the surface and his laugh bordered on a growl. "So you still don't know who he is." Turning to look at Hermione, he said, "I figured the whore would have told you by now but I guess she finally came to her senses and decided you weren't worth it."

"No!" Hermione yelled. Her fear was back, making her eyes wide. She was looking between Remus and Severus with a pleading look on her face. "Remus, please don't."

Remus smiled, the look completely feral. He didn't even look like a man anymore. Ignoring Hermione, he turned towards Severus.

"Snivellus, meet Alexander Damian Snape."

Beside him, Hermione was sobbing in earnest. Severus would now hate her. She didn't dare to look at him. Severus turned and looked at Hermione and the child behind her. Snape? His…son? No, it just wasn't possible. But in his mind, he did the math and realized that Lupin wasn't lying.

He, Severus, had a son. Looking back towards Lupin, his mouth suddenly open in shock, he realized that he had something to live for, he had someone that would need him. Coming to the realization that he had a son, he swept his left arm behind him, knocking Hermione and Alex to the ground and brought his wand up to point at Lupin's face. A split second later, the room was filled with the light from spells being shot from both directions.

XxXxXxXxXx

Hermione felt all the wind knocked out of her body as she hit the floor. Coming to her senses quickly, she covered Alex's small body with her own and put up a shield charm around them.

Lights and shouts filled the room. She wanted to join in but knew that she had to protect Alex. The battle raged for more than a few minutes and she feared for Severus. She hoped he would be okay. For the time being, she curled herself around Alex in a corner of the room and attempted to sooth him.

XxXxXxXxXx

When Severus threw a cutting curse at Lupin's head, the werewolf deftly stepped aside, letting the curse fly harmlessly by him.

Remus responded with a familiar spell. The light that shot towards Severus was emerald green. Realizing what it was, Severus fell flat to the floor. The killing curse. Lupin was serious. He didn't want to simply harm Severus, he wanted to kill him.

Severus responded in kind. Spellfire went back and forth between the two men. Severus got in a few cutting curses, slashing Lupin's arm and leg open while Severus got smacked with a blasting curse.

When the blasting curse hit, Severus' body hit the wall and slid down to the floor. His eyes widened in fear as he saw Lupin stalk closer to him, his wand pointed straight at Severus' head.

XxXxXxXxXx

Hermione looked up when she heard no more spells being fired. The light was gone but the room was still shadowed. Alex was afraid but she set him against the wall, back in the shadows, and went to see what had happened, praying that Severus was alright.

She gasped and ran to his side when she saw that he was on the floor leaning against the wall, blood running down his face. His clothes were torn in many places and he had small cuts on his face. Hermione checked and he appeared to be breathing, although it sounded a little strained.

She looked around for Remus and didn't have to look very far. His body lay a few feet away from Severus. The spell he had been hit with had obviously knocked him backwards.

As she got close to him to check if he was still alive, wand staying pointed at his head, the door to the Room of Requirement burst open. Albus and Sirius rushed in, wands blazing. They looked around and upon seeing the destruction, sprang into action. Sirius ran to Alex while Albus ran to Severus. Nobody seemed to pay any attention to Remus. His body lay broken and bleeding yet no one cared. Inside Hermione was saddened by the loss of one who once was a friend. Yet, she was also overjoyed that he had been stopped before he hurt Severus or Alex. This made her feel sick inside.

She jumped when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. She spun around with her wand held in front of her. Her body relaxed when she saw it was only Sirius.

"Calm down Hermione. Alex and Severus have been taken to the Hospital Wing," he said quietly so as to not startle her further.

She relaxed her wand and stared at him for a second before her knees buckled and she fell to the floor in a puddle of her own blood.

_AN: Yeah, I know. Cliché cliffhanger. I couldn't resist. I actually did not plan ahead of time for that last part but it just goes perfectly. Don't worry, Hermione isn't going to die. I just couldn't have that happen; then they would never have a happy ever after together. _

_At least two more chapters after this. _


	7. Chapter 7

_AN: Sorry I haven't uploaded a chapter in so long! I actually just started college again recently and I have been sick for a week so this is the first chance I have had to even write anything relating to any of my stories. I am trying to hurry and get this finished so I am hoping to get the next update after this one out faster. Thank you everyone for sticking with me and this horribly long update gap and enjoy this chapter!_

Hermione could hear the voices around her bed but she could not hear what they were saying. Their words were muffled and distorted, almost as if she had her head underwater. She groaned, or at least she thought she did. She couldn't really tell anything that was going on. Attempting to force her eyes open, she was frustrated to find that she couldn't. Suddenly, an overwhelming urge to check on Alex took over her. She struggled to jump out of bed, her entire body shaking with the effort yet not move off the bed. Her eyes stayed firmly closed as she continued to struggle.

"Hermione!"

From beside her bed, Severus jumped out of his chair and ran to her side. Her entire body was convulsing and she was soaked with sweat, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. He looked frantically at her quivering form and hollered for Madame Pomfrey.

The nurse came running over to and latched onto Hermione's upper arms, holding her shaking body down.

"Don't just stand there!" She snapped at Severus. "Get over and help me hold her down!" Hermione was thrashing around on the bed, her body almost rising off of it.

Severus jumped into action. He held Hermione's upper body down while Madame Pomfrey spelled Hermione's mouth open and poured a potion down her throat. Almost immediately, Hermione's body stilled. Severus removed his hands from her shoulders, his hands shaking considerably.

"What happened to her?" His face was full of pain and worry as he looked at the aged mediwitch in front of him. She was staring down at Hermione, making sure that a relapse was not going to happen anytime soon.

"I am not sure." Madam Pomfrey looked near as shaken as Severus.

A whimper sounded from behind Severus. He whipped around, his wand at the ready, only to be greeted by the sight of Alex peering around his body at his mother. His deep brown eyes were full of tears, his cheeks streaked with tear tracks. His little body was shaking like a leaf and he looked like he was about to fall over.

Severus ran forward, gathering the child into his arms. Alex wrapped his arms around Severus and began to sob in earnest. "I-is M-mommy going to b-be okay?"

He turned to look at Madam Pomfrey. She looked at the scene in front of her shortly before she registered that the question was now directed at her. "Yes child. Your mother will be fine. She just needs some rest." She gave a brief smile at the pair before she walked back to her office once more.

The two walked back to Hermione's bed and sat beside her in a chair. Alex turned himself around and grabbed onto one of her hands. His hand was tiny inside her equally small, frail hand. She was pale and ghastly looking. Severus' heart gave a sad lurch inside his chest. He sent up a silent prayer to anyone who was listening that she would be alright and would get better soon. He could not lose her just as he found her again. Alex needed his mother and his father.

XxXxXxXxXx

At the same moment that Alex and Severus were sitting beside her bed, Hermione was in the middle of a dream. The potion she had been given made her stop fighting to stand and washed her away to unconsciousness.

In her dream, she awoke in a big bed, the comforter felt like floating on a cloud. Sitting up, she looked around the room that she was currently in. The walls were a pale blue and double doors led out to what appeared to be a deck, white curtains billowing in the open doorway. White furniture lay around the room. Looking down, she was shocked to see that she was naked. She looked around again and spied a deep red silk dressing gown on a post of the bed.

Grabbing it, she spun lightly around, taking in her surroundings again, looking for any pictured to show here where she could possibly be.

She cocked her head to the side as she heard the most beautiful sound in the world flowing in through the cracked doorway.

_That's strange, _she thought. _That sounds exactly like Alex's laughter. _

The door slowly opened in front of her without her touching it. She walked down the hall towards the sound of Alex's laughter. When she came to an open doorway, she paused before moving forwards. Around the corner, she could hear Alex giggling and squealing in delight.

"S-stop it Daddy!"

Her jaw dropped as she heard these words come out of her son's mouth. She was sure that she had heard wrong. Alex did not know his father. At least, she didn't think that he knew his father.

Peeking around the doorway, her jaw dropped even further and she could not prevent the slight gasp that escaped her. In a room that appeared to be a living room, Alex lay on his back on the floor, rolling around. A pair of strong hands were tickling his sides gently. Hermione followed the hands up a pair of bare arms, over strong shoulders covered with a tight white t-shirt, to a head covered with long black hair. The man was grinning like a fool. He appeared at least twenty years younger than his actual age.

At that moment, the man turned and looked at her standing in the doorway. His smile got wider and he whispered something to Alex. Alex looked up and grinned, standing and running towards her, his arms held out for a hug.

"Mommy! Finally you're awake!"

Hermione crouched down and wrapped her arms around her child. Her smile lit up her face. She closed her eyes and relished in the feel of her baby in her arms again. She jumped slightly as she felt a hand land on her shoulder.

"Good morning Beautiful."

Severus smiled down at her and Alex. She reluctantly released Alex and he ran off to play with his toys in a corner of the room. Cautiously, she raised her left hand and stroked down his face. His cheek was soft and he felt deliciously real. His head fell back as she carded her fingers through his hair.

Catching her by surprise, he leaned down and captured her lips with his. The feeling of his soft lips pressed against her was a Heaven that she had not experienced in years. Gods how she missed this.

The two pulled apart, clutching hands and looking toward their child. Their beautiful baby. The best part of the two of them.

_AN: Okay! I know that it wasn't a super lot of information or stuff in general. I apologize. I am hoping for two more chapters. One after this where Hermione wakes up and then an epilogue to end the story. Bear with me as I attempt to get these next few out to you all! _


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: Sorry it's been so long! This is slightly longer than all the other chapters (except for the first) and so I hope it tides you over until the last chapter comes out. This does have some fluff at the end. It finally happens! Enjoy. _

Hermione opened her eyes slowly. At first, all she saw were blurry shapes. As she blinked her eyes, the world slowly came into focus. The light around her face was bright and blinding and she was highly disoriented. She didn't know where she was and she did not like the unknown factor that was thrown into her life at that moment.

She reached up and pushed her hair back from her face, an involuntary action that had been performed a multitude of times, mostly when she was anxious. She attempted to sit up and found that her body was too weak and so she settled for looking around herself. Almost immediately she recognized where she was: the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. _Wh_y _would I be here,_ she wondered.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Hermione's mind and she began to struggle, to push her body, in an attempt to get out of bed. Her body semi-responded and she ended up rolling completely off the bed and into the floor. She cried out as her knee and face collided with the floor harshly. Blood rushed down her face from where her nose bust open after connecting with hard stone.

"Oh dear!"

A voice exclaimed from behind her as Hermione finally managed to make her body respond to her commands and pushed herself into a sitting position.

Madame Pomfrey rushed to her side, waving her wand and healing Hermione's nose in seconds. "My dear, you are supposed to be in bed. What a foolish thing for you to do. You have just finished healing and need to rest. Why I never—"

Hermione tuned the rest of her words out as she stumbled to her feet and near ran towards the doors at the end of the wing. Madame Pomfrey, after seeing where she was headed, waved her wand towards the doors and sealed them with a bang. Hermione turned towards here with venom in her eyes. The venom quickly turned to pain as she doubled over and fell back towards the ground. Tears filled her eyes.

Madame Pomfrey hurried to her side, placing her arm around Hermione's waist. She held the young woman against her for a few minutes as Hermione sobbed uncontrollably.

When she was finished, she looked at Madame Pomfrey. She knew that if anything was wrong, the old woman would have let her go and not attempted to keep her here. Although it did not completely ease her mind, she felt somewhat better about the situation.

"A-Alex?" Hermione questioned cautiously. "Where is my child? Where is my baby? I have to know that he is alright!" She practically yelled the last part.

"Shh," Madame Pomfrey soothed, rubbing Hermione's back in a motherly fashion. "He is fine. He is with his father."

Hermione's eyes got wide at what the healer said. Alex's father. Severus was alright. The news that both her men were in good condition calmed her nerves significantly. Then the realization came crashing down. What did Severus think about all of this? Since he had Alex, she assumed that he had accepted his son but what about her? She mentally steeled her resolve, knowing that she would have to be strong for her son.

"I want to see him. Please, I need to see my son."

Madame Pomfrey nodded. She understood. Pulling out her wand, she cast a patronus quickly before unlocking the doors to the ward. "Come dear, you need to sit down at least. And let me get you cleaned up so that you don't frighten the poor child to death."

Hermione allowed herself to be led back to her bed and helped up onto it. When Madame Pomfrey waved her wand in her direction again, she looked down at what she was wearing. She assumed that her clothes were filthy and bloodstained after the battle and was unsurprised to see the unflattering hospital gown. Suddenly, she was self conscious about Severus seeing her this way. What would he think?

At that moment, the doors banged open and a small bundle was suddenly in her arms. Looking down, her eyes filled with tears again as she saw black curls nestled against her stomach. Alex looked up, his big brown eyes full of tears to match her own.

"M-mommy?" Hermione gave a strangled sound before she grabbed him firmly and squeezed him against her, her nose buried in his sweet curls. She felt eyes on her and looked up to see Severus standing beside her bed, a small smile on his face. He appeared to be visibly holding himself from acting like Alex and throwing himself into her lap.

A smile curled the corners of Hermione's lips as she saw his posture. He noticed her looking and met her eyes. His eyes were deep and expressive and she saw the uncertainty deep in their black depths. Silently, she held out her arms to him, inviting him in. His eyes open wide briefly before he cautiously walked forward and wrapped his arms around her and Alex.

XxXxXxXxXx

Severus couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. Even in a horrible hospital gown she was the most gorgeous person he had ever seen. When she held Alex in her arms he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. She loved their son. _Their son._ He was still struggling to take it all in. Already, the Alex had captured his love and he would do anything for his child.

Presently, Hermione was sitting on her bed with Alex asleep on her lap. They had talked for a few hours before he had passed out. Now, she looked up at Severus and saw that he was gazing intently at her. She nervously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

Severus felt like he should say something, they did need to talk after all. But gods, she was beautiful. He felt like a stuttering first year all over again when he was in her presence. Without even realizing it, he had fallen in love with Hermione Granger. He knew that she did not love him though. Why else would she have kept Alex away from him for so long if she actually loved him?

"Severus…" Hermione cautiously ventured.

He looked towards her eyes. She looked nervous, shaken.

"Thank you for saving Alex. And thank you for saving me. I don't know that I could have lasted, what with keeping him safe. I owe you a great deal."

Her beautiful brown eyes were looking into his, strength now infused into them. Before he knew it, his mouth was spouting the words that his brain was thinking. "Stay with me."

He looked shocked briefly as he realized what he said. Her eyes got big as she looked at him head on. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" she questioned.

Severus took a deep breath and went on. "Stay with me. Live with me. I want to get to know my son and I would like to be able to spend time with you as well to get to know the mother of my child."

She looked at him with wide eyes. Once again, her eyes filled with tears but not for the reason that he thought. _Gods, I love him so much but he only wants to get to know Alex. It was too much to think that he may love me. _The thoughts were running rampant through her mind as he looked at the tears tracking down her cheeks.

Suddenly making up her mind, she looked up at him. He needed to know how she felt about him. There didn't need to be the awkward tension and maybe if he knew, he would rethink the living together ordeal. Maybe they could live close but not together. That would simply be too much torture on her shattered heart.

"Use legilimency on me," she suddenly said, looking him straight in the eyes.

To say that he was shocked would be an understatement. "Why?" he asked incredulously.

"You need to see." She kept repeating the phrase every time he asked the question. Seeing that she was not going to give up, he took out his wand, pointed it at her head, and entered her thoughts.

At first, he was confused. Her thoughts revolved around…him? She was thinking about the way he laughed, his face when he was concentrating, the passionate look in his eyes. She thought about the first and only time they had made love. The way she saw him, as if he was a great man. All of the sudden, it hit him. Slowly, he pulled out of her mind and looked at her, his mouth open.

Her eyes were once again worried as she watched to see how he would react. Along with what he saw in her mind, he also saw her fears and how she thought he would reject her.

He stood suddenly and moved to her side. His hands were by his sides and he reached up and grabbed either side of her face and turned her head so that she was looking at him. Her lips were parted slightly as she gazed at his face.

Slowly, he leaned down until his lips were a mere centimeter away from hers. Her eyelids fluttered closed as he closed the distance and kissed her deeply. The kiss was short and sweet as the two tried not to disturb Alex. When he pulled back, her hand went to her lips and briefly touched along them.

"Silly girl." His face was still close to hers as he breathed the words across her lips. "I love you so much, I can't even begin to tell you the depth of my affection."

A grin spread across Hermione's face as his words slowly sank in. "I love you Severus." Maybe everything would be alright after all.

_AN: Well. One more chapter to go: the epilogue. This started out as a short one-shot and turned into this. I am extremely thankful to everyone who has actually stuck with me especially here towards the end when my update has been erratic. I look forward to doing another fanfiction and would like some input as to whether anyone would actually want to read something else that I write. _


	9. Epilogue

_AN: Okay. This chapter is SHORT. Not even 1,000 words. But, it is an epilogue and I intended it to be short. It's been a good ride, but all good things must end. _

_Oh, one more thing. Someone asked if Remus was dead. Yes. In chapter 6, Hermione comments on the horrible loss of a friend. _

_Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and stayed with me through the long waits and shaky updates. Thank you all! :) _

_Two Years Later_

Hermione awoke and felt like she was floating on a cloud. Her body was warm and content and she dreaded having to get out of the warmth. She groaned and rolled over, reaching towards the opposite side of the bed. Her hand met a cold space and she looked through her fringe at the empty spot beside her.

Slowly, she sat up and looked around the room. There was nobody in sight. A set of French doors stood open in front of her, their white curtains billowing in the warm breeze. Hermione stood and walked towards the doors, looking out onto the beach just beyond the deck that lay outside the door. In the distance, she could see crystal clear blue water. A small smile graced her features as she gazed out at the water.

From a distance, she could hear laughter. She looked closer towards the water to judge where the sound was coming from. The noise stopped momentarily and she couldn't see anyone outside.

She felt the breeze against her bare skin and looked down to see what she was wearing. She was only slightly shocked to see she was naked. She didn't remember going to bed naked. _Why am I—_, she thought then stopped as the memory came back to her.

_Soft hands on her skin. Teeth pulling the straps of her nightgown down her shoulders and latching onto her nipples as it followed the path of her gown down her body, pulling it all the way off. Fingers caressing, rubbing and teasing. _

She shuddered and moaned slightly as the memory washed over her body. She felt herself respond to the thoughts running through her head. Slowly, she ran her hand down her nude body and pushed through the curls to discover her wet heat.

Hermione moved back towards the bed and sat down on the edge. She moved her right hand back towards the gap in her thighs. As she made contact with the little bundle of nerves at the top of her pussy, she threw her head back, her hair cascading down her back.

She moaned quietly as she increased the speed with which she was rubbing herself. Memories of the night before ran through her head as her speed increased. With her left hand she reached up and pinched her nipple. Her moans got more frequent as she approached her climax. With a muffled cry, her body arched as she came.

She collapsed back onto the bed as her breathing steadied. Pulling a blanket over her body, she was just falling back asleep when she heard the laughter again. She knew that it was Alex and wondered what he was laughing at. She stood up, cast a cleaning charm on herself, and put on her dressing gown. She proceeded down the hallway, following the laughter. She heard Alex's sweet, young giggle and she also heard a deep, sexy chuckle.

She reached a doorway and peeked around the corner. Alex was sitting on Severus' lap watching cartoons on the telly. The two were laughing at the antics of the cartoon characters. Hermione stayed standing in the doorway for a few minutes, a smile on her face as she watched her two men, before she was seen.

Alex looked up at her and jumped off of Severus' lap and ran to her for a hug. She kneeled down and hugged him before he ran back to the chair Severus had vacated and continued to watch the telly.

As she stood, Severus slid his arms around her waist. She looked up into his dark eyes, his love for her clearly shining through. He was smiling down at her.

From the other side of the chair, the couple heard a small cry. Hermione pulled away and walked toward the small bassinet. Reaching down, she picked up a small baby. The little girl had a small tuft on brown hair and her big eyes were big and brown, just like her mother's and brother's. When her mother picked her up, she stopped crying and smiled widely. Grace Elizabeth Snape had been born shortly after Hermione and Severus had married.

At that moment, the floo roared to life and Harry and Ron stepped out. The two men greeted Severus warmly. They had all put their hatred behind them when Hermione and Severus had married. Now, they were all good friends. Harry came over and placed a kiss on Gracie's forehead and hugging Hermione. Ron repeated the action and the two then went and sat with Alex and soon became engrossed in the telly program. _Some things never change_, she thought with a small chuckle.

Severus came up behind Hermione, his arms going around her. He looked down at their daughter. Gracie looked up at him, her grin getting wider as she waved her chubby arms, gurgling at both her parents.

Hermione looked around at the room and realized that her live had turned out perfect. She had more than she could ever hope for. She leaned back into Severus and felt his arms tighten around her body. They knew, in that moment, that they were both blessed beyond their wildest dreams.


End file.
